Seoul pondering.
14 hours.
A dialogue ran through my head.
“Uggh, 14 hours. OMG. If I survived a 12-hour flight to
Accra, I can do this. I have Harper Lee’s new book, iTunes and my kindle. Think
positive. Breathe.”
I made my way up to the Korean
Air counter in John F. Kennedy airport, handed over my passport and credit
card.
“Mam, you have been upgraded to business first class. Are
you okay with this.”?
Thoughts in my head: "Okay with this? Are you asking me if I
am okay with this ?I am ecstatic."
Instead I replied, “ Yes, that is great. Thank you.”
The customer service representative handed over my passport, boarding tickets, grinned and directed me to where security was.
14 hours.
It seemed like an awfully long time to be spent in the same, seated position, surrounded by
strangers. Traveling, can be draining…but when you get to your final
destination it is all worth it. I
understand this is negative, but these were my thoughts at the time.
Upon getting into my seat,
I was greeted by the pilot and a flight attendant. Within two hours of
taking off, I had my feet reclined, complimentary fruit salad, Guava juice and
chosen reading material: The NY Times August 5th edition.
The seats were so comfortable: blue & they even reclined
like a lazy boy!!
I had a two- hour long conversation with the young man
sitting next to me. Mostly our conversation revolved around work, travel and
Korea. He told he was a computer scientist whom works in Seoul for the mobile
phone company LG, travels to the United States twice a year for 6 week long
periods and works 6-7 days per week. To say I was surprised would be minor, I
was shocked. Here I was having a negative
attitude and engaging in a negative inner dialogue about a 14- hour flight, while
most days he sits for 14-16 hour.
In life if you let things take course, and do not fight
things most things turn out OK. I have struggled with this- fighting struggles
in life that come along and not going with the flow. Most of us do at some
point or another. Complaining about a 14
-hour flight sounds like a petty thing to blog about, but what it symbolizes is
not. It symbolizes fear, the unknown, and new opportunities. Why was I
complaining? Why do people or even myself complain? Or engage in an inner
negative dialogue? Because they are uncomfortable with things. I fear starting
something new, meeting new colleagues, getting used to a new society.
….
I did a fair amount of reflection on the flight, along with
sleeping and conversing with my new friend.
Jolted out of a dreary sleep by the Korean Air flight
attendant, I was told we were arriving in Seoul International Airport.
When arriving at Seoul Airport you will be impressed. It is
a very tasteful airport with Paris Baguette Bakeries, Duty Free Shops & Bag
shops. The architecture is modern, spacious and lets plenty of natural light in.
But along with usual
airport shops, there are crystal clear windows and views of nearby mountains.
Parking myself in a chair for a few hours, I looked at the
sun rising in Incheon, it was a mild day, but according to weather.com high in
temperatures. A peach colored sunrise
became visible in the distant sky over Incheon, just like the color of summer
peaches in Maryland.
An unsteady Korean baby toddled over to where I was sitting
and looked up at me- great big eyes,
gingham overalls and sparkly baby high-tops. We stared at each other for what seemed liked
ages until her mother interrupted us. Instead of scooping her baby up, her
mother sat down in the seat next to me and watched her baby. The baby began to
crawl towards the long crystal clear windows, and pointed towards planes taking
off while laughing gleefully and clapping.
Babies bring a lot of joy into the world, and even if you
can’t speak a common language with
someone humor is always a means of communication. Humor and smiles can be like
words.
The family was Korean- American, but now lives in Los
Angeles. They were leaving to go back to Lost Angeles after months of living in
Seoul. Her mother asked me where I was
from and then smiled down at her baby.
It was her first child, 10 -month old Suki, and she used describing
words as brave, sweet and clever to describe her baby.
14 hours.
Is not so much time when you let your smile shine and get to
know strangers.
Airports seem like a lonely place, but it is simple
interactions that tame loneliness. A simple conversation with a person sitting
near by, a smile to a barista or a smile to a stranger can help us realize we
are not alone. We may be away from our family, our friends and people who make
our hearts warm but we can keep going and be brave.
I arrived to Taiwan and was greeted by the wonderful
teachers and administrators of the school here in Taichung. I can tell this is going to be a great year
filled with challenges, growth and smiles.
With love from Taichung.
(Photo Credit: Al Hogan)
This picture is of the Typhoon which hit Taiwan. Taichung was a good place to be during the Typhoon because we are surrounded by mountains which help hold back the rain & wind.
Saying goodbye to my Dad at Portland International Airport.
